DER Documentary

Super Chief

This documentary is about a campaign and election for a new tribal
chairman of the White Earth Ojibwe Reservation.

By 1996, millions of dollars that had come through the new casino on
the White Earth Reservation seemed to stop at the tribal chairman's
desk. The self-proclaimed "Super Chief", Darryl "Chip" Wadnea had been
tribal chairman for the past 20 years. The tensions within the tribe
had been building as members realized they had not seen any
improvements in their social services or any services that should have
resulted from a sharing of the wealth. A U.S. Prosecutor is trying to
haul Wadnea into court and a Harvard educated reservation school
teacher is determined to uncover his corruption.

This long-in the making film project freezes a chapter of recent
Minnesota history that's as important to non-Indians as it is to
Indians. For Indians, it's a reminder of the frustration of taking on
what seemed an insurmountable task: the unseating of a powerful
incumbent. The film records the impact of people who were bent on
change and fed up with the status quo. For non-Indians, "Super Chief"
provides a telling glimpse into reservation life against the larger
backdrop of the election.

Nick Kurzon has accomplished what few filmmakers have: gaining the
trust of American Indians so that their humor and thought processes
are captured. He took things slow, allowing the people to see who he
was. They in turn felt confident enough to show emotion and all that
was at stake. Those intimately involved with the election provide the
most interesting character profiles. Kurzon shows the hard work of the
campaign and follows the tensions building like an orchestrated plot
to an unpredictable end. He also manages the impossible: perhaps the
first public filming in the state of Minnesota of the counting of
ballots during a tribal election. This riveting film reveals much
about politics and reservation life.

Film Festivals, Screenings, Awards
Best Documentary New England Film and Video Festival
Minneapolis International Film Festival